CONFRONTED BY DARKNESS
by 221bDauntless
Summary: This is a hunger games fanfic and is about the 48th. It's my first one and might be a bit confusing for at bit but it gets going quite quickly. I hope you like it and support me so, please, read on...
1. Chapter 1

_**CONFRONTED BY DARKNESS - by 221b Dauntless**_

 **Hi. This is my first fanfic. Getting down to the point, it may be confusing at the beginning but off you stick with me you will get it. I am throwing a few quotes in so is you find any then please comment and I will follow you. I hope you enjoy and, again, please stay with me and read on as it will all make sense later. It is in the view of a tribute girl from district 7 and the first chapter is an extract from chapter 7. If you don't understand that then please just skip to chapter 2. Thank you and I hope you enjoy and stick with me. Thank you for any comments and input. So please, read on…**

CHAPTER 1

"No!" I shouted,"I am not going there!" "You-you promised that you would! I can't help that but I am so, so sorry." "I won't take it, never!" "OK, OK. But just think about it," pleaded Theo. "No, I wi-"I sighed, "OK, I'll think about it." "Thanks." he trudged off into the darkness. My mind was a mess. The wind blew my hair around, obscuring my face. His wishes were more taxing by the day: at first it was to hunt for him, next it was to cook him some of the miscellaneous bird I caught. It just put a weight so heavy onto me that a would never stand straight again. That is if I ever survived…

The 48th annual Hunger Games was like any other for many. But for me, it was most likely going to be the worst…and the last. Theo was my life line after I got stabbed, after I got reaped, after I cried every night for weeks, praying that it wouldn't be me. But of course it would. He was demanding but could be the only safe hands I could find sometimes. I got stabbed by Lucus from district 2. A carrier. They mostly won every year: vicious, bloodthirsty idiots who were power crazy. Me, being from 7, was no big threat. Weak, small and only 13. Hey, I could run though, pretty damn fast as well.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I slept in a damp, dark cavern. No water in sight but I didn't care: I would die soon. My wounded leg throbbed. Theo wasn't the most sympathetic of people but he knew how to treat me with only mother nature's gifts. The scent of Aloe Vera hung in the air like a heavy weight.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Oh, God. They were here. Lucus' voice was like a fog bank encircling me, choking me:that may be for the best otherwise I would've screamed.

"Ha, she must be here though," grunted a voice I didn't recognise.

"Yes, she has that boyfriend-" boyfriend! Who does he think he is, my mom, "who is like an elephant on steroids. He makes an absolute racket!" Lucus' soft, level voice didn't fit in with the others: just right for a parent . But, hey, it was the only thing that made up for his misshapen face. Lumps and warts everywhere; he looked like the stereotypical evil witch with his hair all matted and clumped. I shivered. His memory was acid in my mind as I can still picture him, letting the knife fly, hoping to hit his target. The memory hit in just the wrong place. I let out a muffled scream as I forced the thought down.

"I heard something!" hissed Lucus.

"Ha, I thought it was just the trees looking at you!" jutted that gruff voice again.

"I thought you were low on good insults but I didn't nt know you were that low but I can play that game to but you know, it's unlucky that ugly begins with u." the others laughed like drunken cows: the odd animal sounding noise between grunts and clotted laughs. He flashed a pitying look at him- oh, sh*t, I can see him. I scurried back to my bed. I hit a rock. I winced as is clattered backwards and rolled to a stop at the opposite side of the cave. The chatted and laughter stopped.

I gripped my knife, prepared to die. I connected eyes with him as the knife flew towards me then the cannon fired. I was dead. It must've been me. The carriers lumbered off as the ships lights fluttered into view and gently picked me up, and I closed my eyes to prepare for the next step: in my life… or death.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

A ruff hand shook my shoulder. My eyes unblurred as Theo walked over. His sharp blue eyes pierced mine, making me feel like spilling all of my darkest secrets.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I am so sorry. I watched you be taken up. The only way for you to get out was for you to falsely die. I won for you too. Only by me hiding. Again, I say sorry."

My voice began to unclot. I breathed a heavy sigh, all of my anger draining from me.

"No, I understand."

Truthfully, I didn't. Why? Had this always been the planed? My mentor, Forton Licanto, always seemed on edge around me, not fully understanding what I felt about it all; I didn't mind. I knew, he knew, I would die eventually… eventually I would go.

Theo was nice enough to me but I couldn't stand his moaning about his ambitions being ruined. But I now had the chance to go back home. I couldn't bring myself to do that because of the pain they must have endured when I 'died'. I also knew that I shouldn't be alive either way you looked at it.

He seemed to be able to read my thoughts. He was always able question or answer mine, just as they popped into my head.

"You should go home, or just visit." his voice was as soft as satin.

"No. I can't, the pain would be too bad for us all."

"Well, of course _I_ will. But, if you are sure. I can secure you a room here, supply food and water, clothes, whatever you need." as he listed all these, I tapped the chair he perched on, to every perfectly pronounced synoble.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled at his generosity. "Why what?"

"Why are you offering me all this stuff, when I have done nothing for you." I looked at him sceptically.

Then he did something I never expected: he leaned over and kissed me. His lips soft as his voice. His skin like silk. As quickly as it began, he pulled away. His choppy black hair shimmered. All his handsome features seemed to sharpen until the could've cut the silence between us.

"Because you became the light in my darkness."

He stood up. I didn't want to see my face but I knew I was blushing furiously. He turned swiftly and swept out of the door. But just before he left he flicked is head and looked lovingly at me.

"Get some sleep."

And I lay on my side, facing the door and looked at all of the twisted tubes and monitors and finally let sleep envelope me.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Darkness consumed many things, but hurt wasn't one of them. Hurt came from darkness, darkness came from fear, fear comes from the past and the past has happened, no change permitted: that is what district 7 always taught you. It taught you that all things that are bad track back to the past, in which you couldn't change, and by thinking of this, you can overcome anything. Most of the time I thought: what a load of tosh. But now, not so much…

As thoughts consumed my mind, I stared at the rocky ceiling. A medicinal scent scorched my sinuses. It was so much stronger than last I remember. A clattering sound echoed around the cavern.

CAVERN!

It was all a dream. No, it couldn't have been. It was so real. But it was all what I wanted, how I imagined to get out. Vaguely. No, it mustn't have been. But dreams show your deepest desires. But some of the, well of course I want to live and all that but Theo… Yeah, I guess he was hot but not that hot. Aghhh. My mind was broken into a million pieces.

OK. Breath: in, out, in and out.

But again, why did I have such a thoughtful, desire driven dream? But I did obviously want to survive, but then again, I was adamant that I wouldn't go to see my family. But if it was all a dream, I would've won and lived a long happy life, went to see my whole family: just like every tribute wanted. But what, now, did I want? My mind was defying my human nature, to see my family, friends and be free of all pain and suffering. But no, I had to do it the hard way, and that took too much brain power, that I couldn't expend. OK. I let the thought drift away to the unknown, and to be recovered later. I now needed to survive and win, then I should think about it again.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 Theo had to hunch to get in. He look worryingly at me and sat, rocking on his heels. "Are you OK. You look thoughtful, like something is worrying you and you are trying to work it out by yourself. I may be able to help. Just say and we can work it out."

The look in his eyes was the care I saw in the dream. "It's OK, nothing. Just sleepy"

"Ok, but you have been slee…" he shook his head softly as his voice trailed off to an awkward silence. I avoided eye contact at all costs, even at home. So now it was like looking at the sun:so noticeable that it stuck out like a sore thumb and me having people questioning my thoughts and reasons on my acts. My upper lip quivered so I had to cough to cover it.

"Yeah, OK, thanks. But you've been out for a while." The break in the silence was a rare gift to be beheld with us as we typically just sat in concealing silence. Theo's smile held gratitude as he went into a long story that, truthfully, I wasn't listening to but he obviously knew as he kept repeating himself, just to give me time to think. I, again, was grateful for his presence: a warmth in the cold, bitter nights.

The howl of the wind ripped through my train of thought. The echo. The suspense. The fright. Everything seems to happen at the same time. The cannon wailed into the night. Seven of us left now: both from 1, one from 2, one from 4( the little one that disappeared from the beginning), one from 6 - who was with the carriers - and us.

We heard a distant cry - out of pain or glee we will never discover. The stars shone out of the silky black night sky. It was like home again after a long day of work. My mind tormented me as images, flashes of home: the market, the fence, and worst of all, our house. Warmth filled my toes as I remembered the cold winter's nights with the fire crackling and hugging my blanket affectionately. The memory warmed me but also filled my head with sorrow: I will never see them again. The thought snapped me back to the present. Theo had settled down in the corner and breathed heavily. The blue lights of the capitol illuminated the sky. Only one face sank tonight. The anthem and halo flickered out. Maybe more tomorrow, maybe none. Then, as ever, I sat, confronted by darkness...


End file.
